Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1887-04-22
a eoosnl Gypsy CAMP.

Edgar L. Vahcmnn With nn hnoione
haco--Cnmp by she Rond.idc.
Any ono would bo interested In noting
how rapidly tho mcinbcn, Of GyIs;y
band adjust themselves to their uurround-
ings when n camping place has boon
reached Almost within nh hour tho
place will have all tho appearance cr
acttled abiding. In evHy direction you
will Bco in light and nl,ntow the covered
wagons sheltcro;l by tho overhenc.ng
foliage of great forest trees, somo of The
mcnncst, poorest typo. o,hcn rich In
trappings and decorations. Near to ench
and gcatterod about the gra,u or carefully
stretched over improrisod racks formoI
by Baplings bent and their tope fastontxl
by bark tlrongH 10 elumpa OF brush or
stout wooden pegs driven into tho
ground. or still hung upon tho smooth,
oitatretching limbs Of trees, arc nadtllcs,
blankets, parts Of harness, or various por-
tons of tho outfit OF tho road Hero and
thoro nre light buygics. with which trad
ing il dono Mt tho distant town, or in
which Bhrowd tlul;kcrori 0ortuno tellcrO
seek tho crc<lulous occupants OF outlying
farms.
between al tlc,c or tcthcrcd whcro
most convenient. nro horse, md m,,los in
largo nulnbcm and Of NIL Grntlcss though
really excellent animals pr~lominate.
munching their corn or nibbling mt their
liny, cornstalks or freshly cut oats or
Eraea, md whinnying and snorting in
their needs and freaks as 6trupping lnds
leisurely caro- for tlhm. Within tho open
spaces around which tho wagons nro
Rimding-invariably with tho open fronts
Tucinn thfutl, pnI f1,,. al.
cred rear ends townrd tho forest or road
-nro scattered tho tcnts, like great
brown wooden hoods. their moutlu open
ing upon chcery fires, ut the aldo OF
which will always bc found tho lLack
iron kettle sticks, from which nro hung
ing. Mt nearly nll hours OF tho day or
night, tho ri2zlinS pots or singing kettlen.
Yon will nearly IlwayH find this camp
near the highway. though nlmoat rs fro-
quently entirely hid from Il, like n nest;
and. to my mind, tho Gypsy camp always
recalls how, when was "a brown faceI,
tunicl;ed country boy" with others OF
my. ilk. wo hunted tho ncsts OF tho
meadow lark, and passed and ropassed
them, as tincs stepping Bquarcly over
them without our prying eyes discovering
the tiny homes wo " ere robblng, unlcso
mnyhap the brown and mottlcd littlo
mother. wild in fcar, with u whirr and
flptter rose DtartlinEly almost beneath our
very feet Tlicn thcio Is tho stream.
large or nmall, never moro than fow
ro'lo distant, Below tho camp--that is,
down tho sircaIn from its tho horso
path, where Gypsy lads lead tho animals
to water, and from which, il tho stream
DO large enough, yol will ECO them daily
swimming the horses and mulco-for
cleanliness Of person rnd aninials Ia
part Of Gypsy religion-with much
laughter and jollity, as havo Gccn tho
gay nadRdora tlisport with lIavnnn horsc.i
in tho sca OF tho Gallo Ancho del Norto.
Above the camp II few rods Is tho path
where the lads and lassea bring the
drinking and cooking water. Nlidwa6S
between there will be found spot wlleelf5 =
slopes to the stream. Hero nrc oand and
pebbles cleaning in tho f,ln. op may bo n
fat rock with frecklcf faco. and sidcs.
shelving over or into tho watcr. IL IN
here tho women como and duck their
chnuvics, IN mother geese will gchool
their goslingB,, or where uicy wash their
clothing much nftcr tho faGiiion of Cor
man housewives down in old Bavaria,
and upon the allers noar will flutter
gowns TINT have witching look MS if par
taking Of their wcarurs raco hcrcsiity,
whilc the rcd and yellow cotton stufLs in
undcrgarmcnts, hnndlserchiefs, scarfs and
tnrbans flnunt nirily, suggestive Of old
Spain and tho savage colors of the Mos
lens that left barlarous tokens thrca1-
ing down tho centuries to the Castillo OF
our own day. From divers ropes or
bark thongs, slung from clu,nIm OF will
lows or fastened to woodcnpcgs driven into
the bank, may be traced closely covered,
well oiled tin pals or jugs of carthen-
ware, resting in the cooling water, which
hold various cooked or ,incooked an iclcs
OF food. Over here, just Mt tho edgo of
tho camp. you will SEQ where tho cliau-
vics have disengagcd n rugged old vino<
from ccntury-old trco and havo tr;unsf$
formed it into swing, or, in tho al&
scnce of that, have spliccd, ns clcvcrlyS
could sailors, bits of ropes into
the child-hcart is tho same ii
round-and there nro great lauG{
happiness hero.--Edgar L. Wa -